Rivet set or tool retaining means for pneumatic hammers and the like



Dec. 3, 194%. s, s ROBERTs 2,224,063

RIVET SET OR TOOL RETAINING MEANS FOR PNEUMATIC HAMMERS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 8, 1958 PIE. 1, m

[mentors Patented Dec. 3, 1940 PATENT ()FFICE RIVET SET OR T'OOL RETAINING MEANS FOR PNEUMATIC LIKE HAlVIlVIE-RS AND THE Samuel s. Roberts, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application November Claims.

This invention relates to pneumatic hammers of the type used for'riveting, chipping, etc., and, particularly, to an improved means for retaining the rivet set or other Working tool 5 therein. I

It is now customary to provide a safety retaining device or means forpreventing the accidental displacement of the rivet set or working tool from the barrel of pneumatic guns or hammers during the use thereof. Such a device is desirable, in that it prevents the rivet set or tool from being accidentally forced from the hammer which might result in injury to the operator or other workmen nearby. Also, such a device prevents the rivet set or tool from being displaced from the hammer when it ismoved from one position to another as it becomes a nuisance to have the rivet set or tool continually dropping out of the hammer during a change of position. Furthermore, in the event the shank of the rivet set or tool should break, such a retaining device will, of course, prevent the rivet set head from flying from the hammer.

Various types of retaining devices or means have been suggested and used. Some of these have been very practical in their uses while others have been a complete failure. Heretofore, most of the retaining devices suggested or used were too complicated and expensive to be practical while others have been too bulky, which, of course, would impair the usefulness of the gun or hammer.

According to the present invention, there is provided an improved means for retaining rivet sets or other working tools in pneumatic hammers which is simple and inexpensive in its construction, and, at the same time, a device which canbe easily and quickly applied to the-barrel of the hammer or removed therefrom.

his one of the objects of this invention to provide an improved means for retaining the rivet sets or other working tools in the barrels of penumatic hammers which is not bulkybut small and compact, and one which does not extend outwardly beyond the periphery of the largest part of the barrel of the hammer, at the same time being sufliciently strong and rugged to out-last the life of the hammer.

It is another object of the invention to pro- 50 vide an improved means for retaining rivet sets or other working tools in the barrels of pneumatic hammers which will limit the longitudinal movementof the rivet set or tool in the barrel thereof, and, at the same time, permit the same to freely turn therein while the hammer-is in use.

8, 1938, Serial No. 239,574

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent in the course of the following specification and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, there is shown, for the purpose of illustration, one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a plan of the improved rivet set retaining means shown in position on the barrel of a pneumatic hammer or the like;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line IIIIII of Figure 2; i

Figure4 is a section taken on the line IV of Figure 2; and, i

Figure 5 is a view of a rivet set, partly in section, showing the construction thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is shown the barrel of a conventional type pneumatic hammer having a reduced end po-rticn 2. According to the present invention, there is arranged through the barrel, preferably intermediate the length of the reduced end portion, a chord-like cylindrical hole 3. This hole is positioned preferably at a distance spaced from the axis of the barrel and so positioned that it extends through and into the periphery of the cylindrical inner chamber or bore 4 of the barrel. The bore of the barrel is adapted to receive the cylindrical shank 5 of a rivet set 6 or other working tool. There is arranged in the hole 3 preferably a cylindrical pin 1 having preferably a flat side. This pin is adapted to extend into and lie loosely against the rivet set in a relatively wide annular or circumferential groove 8' arranged around the periphery of the shank 5 of the rivet set 6, as shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing. It is the purpose of this pin to limit the longitudinal movement of the shank 5 within the bore of the barrel and to permit the rivet set to freely turn or twist therein. There is removably mounted on the reduced end portion 2 of the barrel an annular resilient split clip or collar 9, preferably made of spring steel, having an inwardly extending flange portion I 0 on the inner end thereof which is adapted to cooperate with preferably a helical groove l 2 arranged circumferentially aroundthe barrel, preferably at the inner end of the reduced end portion 2 thereof to retain the annular clip or collar on the reduced end of the barrel. The helical groove I2 preferably does not extend completely around the barrel but terminates preferably in holes or indentations l3 arranged at the termini thereof so as to provide a shoulder portion at each end thereof.

The outer end of the annular split clip 9 has preferably an inwardly extending flange portion M with one terminus l5 thereof preferably arranged at a helical angle. The rivet set head has an annular or circumferential flanged portion [6 arranged on the upper end thereof with an angular slotted groove I! arranged in one side thereof at preferably the same angle as the helical angleof the terminating portion 15 of the inwardly extending flange I l of the clip.

The annular split clip 9 has preferably arranged therein, on each side thereof and in the same plane as the pin 1, and of a slightly larger width, a notch or slot i8 extending from opposed edges of the clip to points intermediate the body thereof so as to permit removal of the pin from the barrel.

It will be understood that the purpose of the holes or indentations I3 is to provide a terminating end Wall for the spiral groove I 2 so that these Walls will act as a stop for the opposed end portions of the inwardly extending flange I!) so as to prevent unintentional twisting or turning of the collar on the end of the barrel. The annular clip or collar 9 should be resilient enough so that these opposed end portions could be lifted up out of these holes when it is desired to turn the collar to remove the rivet set or to remove the collar entirely from the reduced end of the barrel. The groove I2 is helically arranged so that the clip will not again track back in the groove upon the turning thereof but tend to move outwardly off the end of the barrel instead.

The helical end portion l5 of the inwardly extending flange M of the clip is to permit the rivet set or working tool to be positioned into the bore of the barrel of the gun without moving the annular clip therefrom; that is, the angular groove ll in the flange it of the rivet set head cooperates with the helical angular portion I5 of the inwardly extending flange l4, thereby permitting the same to pass into the clip, and acts to retain the head of the rivet set in the clip in case of breakage of the shank of the rivet set or Working tool.

In order to position the rivet set or other working tool in the bore of the barrel, the annular split resilient clip or collar 9 is first sprung and positioned over the end of the barrel so that the inwardly extending flange portion I9 is positioned in the groove l2 of the barrel and the slots l8 are aligned with the hole 3 therethrough. The shank 5 of the rivet set or tool is then inserted into the bore of the barrel through the outer end of the collar 9 until the flanged portion I6 of the rivet set head 8 abuts the inwardly extending flange portion M of the collar 9. The rivet set is then twisted or turned so that the helical angular portion 15 of the inwardly extending flange portion M cooperates with the angular slot I! in the flange I6 of the rivet set head, thereby moving the rivet set flange It inwardly into the confines of the clip. The pin 1 is then inserted into the hole 3, thereby positioning the central portion of the pin in theannular groove 8 on the periphery ofthe shank 5. The annular collar 9 is then twisted or turned until the opposed ends of the flanges I9 fall into and abut against the stop walls of the holes I3. It will be seen that, by turning the annular split collar to such a position, they slots I8 are positioned on theopposite side of the barrel from the pin 1 with the Walls of the clip preventing therernoval of the pin 1 from the barrel. The hammer is now ready for use and if it is desired to change the rivet set head, it is necessary only to reverse the above operations. Such an arrangement provides a quick and easy means for changing the rivet set in the hammer.

An important feature of my improved tool retaining means is that it not only retains the rivet set or working tool in the bore of the barrel but also prevents the forcing of the rivet set head therefrom in case of breakage of the shank. Also, it will be seen that the improved retaining means of my invention does not increase the outside diameter of that portion of the gun to which it is attached; that is, the outside diameter of the annular split collar is no greater than the outside diameter of the barrel of the gun or hammer, therefore it does not impair the usefulness thereof.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this embodiment is merely for the purpose of illustration and description and that various other forms may be devised within the scope of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Means for retaining a rivet set or other working tool in the barrel of pneumatic hammers and the like including, in combination, a resilient annular split clip adapted to fit over the outer end of the barrel of a pneumatic hammer, an inwardly extending flanged portion arranged on the inner end of said clip which is adapted to engage with a helical groove arranged around the barrel of said hammer to retain the clip thereon, removable means arranged in said barrel adjacent the end thereof for limiting the longitudinal movement of a working tool when positioned therein and to permit the turning thereof in said barrel, said clip adapted to act in one position to prevent the removal of said means from said barrel and in another position to permit the removal thereof, and an inwardly extending flanged portion arranged on the outer end of said clip which is adapted normally to retain the tool in said barrel and being so constructed and arranged as to permit the placing of the rivet set in the barrel of the hammer and the removal therefrom therethrough.

2. Means for retaining a rivet set or other working tool in the barrel of pneumatic hammers and the like including, in combination, a movable annular clip adapted to fit around the barrel adjacent the outer end thereof, and a removable pin extending through said barrel which is adapted to cooperate with a relatively wide circumferential groove arranged around the shank of the rivet set or tool to provide for limited longitudinal movement thereof in the bore of said barrel and to permit the turning thereof therein, said clip adapted to be moved to one position to retain the pin in said barrel and to another position to permit the removal thereof.

3. The combination asdefined in claim 2, wherein there is arranged on the outer end of the clip member an inwardly extending flanged portion which is adapted to cooperate with a circumferential flanged portion arranged around the head of the rivet set to retain the head of the same in the clip in case of breakage of the shank of the rivet set.

4. Means for retaining a rivet set or other working tool in the barrel of pneumatic hammers and the like including, in combination, a

movable annular member adapted to fit around the outer end of said barrel and the rivet set or tool therein, an inwardly extending flanged portion arranged on the outer end of said member which is adapted to cooperate with a circumferential flanged portion carried by the head of said rivet set, means for retaining said annular member on said barrel, and a removable pin disposed in an opening extending through said barrel which is adapted to cooperate with a relatively wide annular groove arranged around the periphery of the shank of the rivet set or tool to limit the longitudinal movement thereof in the bore of said barrel and to permit the turning thereof therein, said clip adapted to retain the pin in said barrel and the inwardly extending flanged portion arranged on said rivet set adapted to retain the head of the same in the clip in case of breakage of the shank of said rivet set or tool.

5. Means for retaining a rivet set or other working tool in the barrel of a pneumatic hammer and the like including, in combination, a removable resilient annular member which fits around the barrel of the hammer at the outer end thereof, said annular member having an inwardly extending flanged portion arranged on the inner end thereof which is adapted to cooperate with a circumferential groove arranged around said barrel to retain the same thereon, and having an inwardly extending flanged portion positioned on its outer end which is constructed and arranged so as to cooperate with an angular groove arranged in the periphery of a circumferential flange carried by the rivet set to thread and retain the same therein, a removable pin extending through said barrel which is adapted to cooperate with a circumferential groove arranged around the shank of said rivet set, said groove having a width substantially greater than the diameter of the pin, said pin adapted to limit the longitudinal movement of the rivet set in the bore of said barrel and to permit the turning thereof, said annular member adapted to retain said pin in the barrel and the head of the same in said member in case of breakage of the shank of said rivet set.

SAMUEL S. ROBERTS. 

